Find your Martyn's Law tier and the steps your premises need
Six questions about your site. You see your likely tier, the duties that come with it and the free government guidance. Talk to one specialist adviser only if you want help.
- Your likely tier before you give any contact details
- The four procedures every standard-tier site needs, in plain words
- The free route for venues that want to do it themselves
Tier Check is an introduction service. We pass your enquiry to one partner security adviser, which pays us a fee for each introduction. The tier check is free.
Four kinds of premises, four different starting points
Pubs, bars and venues
A busy Saturday or a match night can bring 200 people through the door. Find out if that puts you in scope and what the four procedures look like for a single site.
Check my venueMulti-site operators and managing agents
Sort your estate into standard and enhanced sites, and get one set of procedures and training records your managers can follow at every site.
Check my sitesPlaces of worship and community buildings
Places of worship stay in the standard tier at any size. See what volunteers need to know and the free guidance that covers most of it.
Check my buildingSports grounds and large venues
At 800 or more, most premises carry the enhanced duty: a written assessment sent to the SIA and measures to reduce risk. See what that involves.
Check enhanced tierWhat you get from the check
You see your likely tier before we ask for any details. Leave your details and we add a short summary written for your answers.
- Your likely tierStandard, enhanced or outside the tiers, with the special rule for places of worship, schools and childcare.
- Your duties in plain wordsWho must notify the SIA, the four procedures, and what enhanced sites must write down and send.
- The dates that matterExpected start in spring 2027, with SIA portal testing from early 2027.
- The free route and the paid routeFree SIA and ProtectUK guidance for sites that want to do it themselves, and one adviser for sites that want help.
- Questions to ask any adviserSo you can compare prices and know what a good plan includes.
From tier check to a plan
Answer six questions
Premises type, peak numbers, number of sites and where you are with preparation. Your likely tier shows straight away.
Read your summary
Your duties, the dates, typical costs and the free SIA and ProtectUK guidance for your tier.
Talk to one adviser if you want
One specialist can write procedures, train staff or carry out an enhanced-tier assessment, at a price agreed before work starts.
What Martyn's Law costs, by tier
Home Office impact assessment, central estimate of the 10-year cost per premises (present value).
| Tier | 10-year cost per premises |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 200 people | Outside the tiers |
| Standard tier, 200 to 799 people | £3,313 |
| Places of worship, schools and childcare at any size | Standard tier |
| Enhanced tier, 800 or more people | £52,093 |
National averages. Your cost depends on your site, your existing security and the help you choose. Many standard-tier sites use the free government guidance.
What the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 asks of you
Martyn's Law is named after Martyn Hett, one of 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. The SIA expects it to come into force in spring 2027.
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) regulates the duty. Standard-tier premises notify the SIA of a responsible person and have procedures staff can follow in an attack: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communicating with the public.
Enhanced-tier premises and qualifying events also put reasonably practicable measures in place, name a senior individual and send a documented assessment to the SIA. The Home Office estimates 24,300 premises are in the enhanced tier.
Common questions
Short answers for licensees, venue managers, trustees and safety officers.
When does Martyn's Law start?
The SIA expects the Act to come into force in spring 2027, at least 24 months after Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. The SIA will confirm the date before it applies.
Does it apply to my pub?
It applies if you can reasonably expect 200 or more people on the premises at the same time, from time to time. A busy event night counts. Below 200, your pub is outside the tiers.
Our church holds 900 people. Are we enhanced tier?
No. Places of worship, schools and childcare premises stay in the standard tier at any size. You still notify the SIA and have the four procedures.
Do I need a consultant for the standard tier?
Often you can do it yourself. The Home Office says standard-tier premises can comply without buying specialist services. Advisers help most with staff training, multi-site estates and enhanced-tier assessments.
What does the standard tier actually involve?
Notify the SIA of your responsible person. Then have four procedures your staff or volunteers can follow in an attack: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communicating with the public. Work out your realistic peak numbers and name your responsible person first.
Is there free Martyn's Law training?
Yes. ProtectUK offers free awareness training for any venue, and the SIA statutory guidance and ProtectUK cover every standard-tier duty. An adviser can train staff at a price agreed before work starts.
Can an adviser certify that I comply?
No adviser can certify compliance. The SIA regulates the duty and endorses no firm. A good adviser helps you prepare and record what you have done.
What are the penalties?
Councils report a maximum fixed penalty of £10,000 plus £500 a day for standard-tier premises, and up to £18 million or 5% of worldwide turnover for enhanced-tier premises and qualifying events.
Who will contact me?
One partner security adviser, named in the consent box and our privacy notice. Nobody else receives your details.
Advisers across the UK
The Act applies across the UK. Partner advisers work on site and by video call.
Latest guides
Know your tier before spring 2027
Six questions. Your likely tier and your duties on screen in about two minutes.
Check my tier